Learning How to Believe
by QuinntheEskimo
Summary: Roxas and Sora are a pair of brothers with a troubled past, trying to make a new start at a new school. But from the moment they arrive, they discover that things don't go according to plan... especially when Axel is involved. AU, AkuRoku, SoRiku, and others.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: New Boy Gets a One-Fingered Salute.

So, bear with me. This is my first attempt at writing anything but one-shots. And I learned long ago that is I try to plot things out, they suck. So I'm just writing as the inspiration strikes me. don't yell at me if it sucks. Rated T, because of some language, mostly from Axel, and some dirty stuff... (insert evil laugh here). AkuRoku, SoraXRiku, and any other combinations I come up with along the way.

No, I do not own these characters, which they should be eternally grateful for.

By the way, since I have a bizarre obsession with adding song lyrics to my stories, each chapter will end with a lyric from a song that I think suits the chapter.

I like reviews. Reviews are wonderful. They make me feel good about myself. So review, for my self esteem. Anyways, here goes.

…...

_Being_ _the_ _new_ _kid_ _sucks,_ Roxas thought to himself. _Always,_ _without_ _fail._ He walked down the hallway of Hollow Bastion High, grumbling internally as he headed to his new homeroom class. _But_ _I'd_ _rather_ _be_ _here_ _than_ _at_ _my_ _old_ _school..._

"Don't look so angry, Roxas. No one will talk to you."

Roxas shot an apologetic glance at his twin beside him. "Sorry, Sora. I can't help it."

"Anyways, its better like this. At least here, no one knows about what happened. We can start over. No more of the looks we used to get all the time. So try to be happy, okay?" Sora was the polar opposite of Roxas sometimes, always cheerful when he was brooding, always upbeat when he was pessimistic. Sora was so much better at adapting to change, too. Which was evident by his goofy grin as he wheeled along beside him. Being pronounced paralyzed from the waist down hadn't changed his outlook a bit. 6 months ago, the doctors didn't think he would survive a week, and now he was able to move his toes again, a feat considered to be impossible.

"Besides, Roxas," Sora said softly, interrupting his thoughts. "I don't blame you for what happened, so what anyone else thinks doesn't matter." he stopped in front of a classroom,and said "This is my stop. Your right next door. Our next class is together, so wait for me out here, okay?" he grinned at his brother, opened the door, and wheeled in. Roxas just shook his head and headed into the room Sora had indicated.

"You must be Roxas Locke. Welcome." the teacher was a tall guy with long brown hair and a scar across his face. Definitely not what Roxas had expected. "My name is Leon. Come on in, here's your Math 2 textbook." Roxas took the book from him and looked for a place to sit. The only available seats were all the way in the back.

He headed towards the back to take his seat. When he had sat down, Leon continued with his lesson on proofs, which confused the hell out of him. Roxas looked around at the other people in his class. To his left sat a guy in camo pants with a mop of floppy blonde hair, texting under his desk. In front of him, diagonal from Roxas, was a pretty brunette girl avidly taking notes. In front of him sat a frail-looking blonde drawing in a sketchbook. With a start, Roxas realized that she was drawing him. And it was an excellent likeness. The was an empty desk beside the blonde, and to Roxas' right sat a guy with fire-engine red hair and the greenest eyes he'd ever seen. Beneath his eyes were two upside-down teardrop tattoos. He was one of the most gorgeous guys Roxas had ever seen. And he looked utterly bored, slouched in the desk.

The guy noticed him looking at him. He me this eyes, stared at him for a moment... and then flipped him off. Surprised, Roxas stared dumbly as the guy rested his head on his hand and closed his eyes, as if he were going to sleep. _what_ _the_ _hell_ _was_ _that_ _about?_ Roxas wondered.

_Made a wrong turn once or twice, dug my way out, blood and fire. Bad decisions, that's alright, welcome to my silly life._


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Learning More Than Math.

Back for chapter two. Originally, this was part of chapter one, but it was just too damn long, so I split it up. Yes, my teachers go by their first names. Mostly because I'm lazy and don't want to figure out the last names of these characters. Whatever.

Enough of my rambling. In this chapter, we learn more about Axel, and other characters are introduced. You want to know anything else, read the frigging chapter, okay? Okay.

Once again, not my characters. So annoying to have to put that on everything. I mean, seriously. If they were my own invention, I wouldn't be posting this as _fan_ _fiction,_ now would I?

By the way, thanks for reviews, guys! Hugs! XD

…...

"Alright, guys. Split up into groups of 5!" Leon suddenly announced. _why_ _the_ _hell_ _is_ _a teacher going by his first name anyways?_ Roxas wondered. "I want you to do questions 1 through 10 together. That's your homework, your groups get a cumulative grade, and you have until the end of the period to get started. Go for it." he looked around the room, and then sat down at his desk.

_Crap,_ Roxas thought. _I don't know anyone..._ he looked up to see the blonde girl in front of him had turned around. "You want to work with us?" she asked.

"Thanks!" Roxas said gratefully.

"I'm Namine Lune." she said. "This is Olette Pierce," she gestured to the brunette girl, "Hayner Ross," pointing to the blonde guy beside him, "and Pence Johnson" indicating a short, chubby brown haired boy he hadn't noticed before.

"Nice to meet you guys." Roxas said.

"We're just glad to have you instead of being stuck with Axel!" Hayner replied with a grin.

"Be nice, Hayner, he's not that bad. And who knows, maybe Roxas will like him." Olette said, opening her textbook. "Don't prejudice him against Axel before he even talks to him."

"Who's Axel?" he asked, thinking he could guess who it was.

"The jerk that gave you the finger when you only looked at him. Don't feel bad, he's a dick to everyone." Pence explained. _So_ _it_ _was_ _the_ _guy_ _I_ _thought_ _it_ _was._ _Lovely._ "Axel Firennos. School slacker. He's taken this same math class twice already. And its not like its a very tough class. Like, you have to try to fail with this stuff. I don't know if he just hates it here that much, or if he just doesn't care, or what, but every time we have to be in a group with him, he goes out of his way to be as obnoxious and rude as possible. I think he just enjoys making everyone around him miserable."

Roxas looked around and spotted Axel in a group with a bunch of preppy looking girls. He looked back at Roxas, scowled, and resumed staring down the floor tiles. It was obvious he could hear everything Hayner and Pence were saying, and it was just as obvious he was trying to pretend he didn't care. _He's a lot like me, _Roxas thought. _Acts like he doesn't care what people think, when inside its all that matters. I really ought to talk to him sometime..._

"You know, you got the easiest group to work with," Hayner said, interrupting his thoughts. "Olette and Pence do all the problems, since Namine and I are both hopeless at math. Since we get a cumulative grade, in our groups, we learned a while ago that it was just easier to let them figure it out."

"I'm not hopeless," Namine interjected. "i just don't care. I want to be a tattoo artist. What do I need algebra for?" she smiled at Roxas. "would you mind if I sketch you?" she asked.

"Well, since you've already started, I suppose it doesn't matter, does it?" he replied with a smile.

"Oh, you saw that? I'm sorry. Your just very interesting-looking. I couldn't resist."

"Ummmm... thank you?" he wasn't sure how to react to that. He'd never been called interesting-looking before.

"Don't mind her. She's just weird like that." Olette said, laughing. "we're finished, so you guys get this copied now." Roxas, Hayner and Namine obediently complied

As they finished, the bell rang. "what do you have next, Roxas?" Namine asked.

"Art," Roxas replied.

"Ooh, me too! Lets go together!"

"Sure, but we have to meet my brother out in the hall first."

"You have a brother?"

"Yeah, he's my twin. His name is Sora."

"No way! I have a twin too! Her name is Kairi, and she's in art next period too!" Namine's enthusiasm was infectious. Roxas found himself grinning.

"Well, lets go then. I'll see you guys later!" he called to Hayner, Pence and Olette.

"Later." Hayner replied

"Lets have lunch together!" Olette suggested.

"Sounds good. See you then." Roxas said as he headed out the door with Namine. He say Axel behind him, and almost turned around to say something, but then he heard Sora call out to him.

"Hey Roxas! How was it?" he asked.

Roxas was shocked. There was a cute redhead pushing his chair. Sora never let anyone push his chair. "not bad," Roxas said. "I already met some pretty cool people."

"Kairi! You already met Roxas' twin?" Namine said to the redhead. Now that he actually looked at the girl, he realized that except for their hair colors, they were completely identical. And Sora had already made friends with her. _What_ _were_ _the_ _odds_ _of_ _that?_

"I met some cool people too. This is Kairi, and that's Riku." Sora said, pointing to a silver-haired boy beside him.

"yeah... this is Namine, Kairi's twin." Roxas said laughing.

Sora looked shocked for a moment, then he started to laugh too.

The silver-haired guy, Riku, spoke up. "Two sets of twins in the whole school, and they manage to meet each other by second period? What are the odds of that?" he wondered, echoing Roxas' thoughts.

"Three, actually." Roxas said.

"Yeah, we have older brothers, Ventus and Vanitas, who are twins as well. But they're seniors." Sora added.

"Wow! And we were the only ones for so long." Kairi said.

"I guess were not special anymore..." Namine said with a fake sob.

"Save the acting for the stage, dork. We better get to class." Riku said. They headed down the hall, laughing together.

_Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road, time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go. So make the best of this test and don't ask why, its not a question, but a lesson learned in time._


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Art Class is Terribly Informative.

Yet another chapter about Axel. I love Axel. Can you tell? And Axel and Roxas are just so incredibly...gay. I love it. Just makes me warm and fuzzy inside. (Don't question it.)

And by the way, the whole 'straight as a hubcap' conversation? Totally came from a real conversation between myself (a lesbian), and my gay best friend. I just had to include it here. I couldn't resist.

I just can't help but see Aerith as the ditzy art teacher. Sorry. She kinda annoys the crap out of me though. Anyways, this is it. Chapter three. Enjoy.

Not my characters, blah, blah, blah.

By the way, to all my silly reviewers, you rock. 3

…...

They walked into the art room just as the bell was ringing. The room was painted a bright, cheery yellow, and had lots of windows. And just about every other flat surface, the ceiling, cabinets, tables, counters, and cupboards, were covered in a motley mix of random artwork. The earthy scent of clay, the pungent aroma of paint, and the oily smell of pastels filled the air. Roxas instantly fell in love with the room. It felt like home.

The five of them took a table in the back of the room, and Namine, Kairi, and Riku went to get their projects in progress. Roxas sat down next to Sora, and was trying to figure out where the teacher was, when a girl with long brown hair, dressed in an overabundance of pink, walked over to them. It wasn't until she said "hello, you must be my new students," that he realized that she _was_ the teacher. _What is with the teachers around here? _Hewondered.

"I'm Aerith. Welcome. Here is a list of project ideas. I'm not much for strict classroom etiquette, so feel free to talk, listen to music, whatever, as long as you get your work done. Enjoy!" and then she floated away. Sora and Roxas looked at each other. Sora cocked an eyebrow. Roxas shrugged, and they both looked at the list she had given them.

Kairi came back with an object wrapped in plastic, which turned out to be a clay sculpture of a dragon, which had no legs yet. Riku had an oil pastel picture of what appeared to be a tropical island surrounded by blue ocean. Namine had a small mirror, and what Roxas presumed to be a self-portrait, even though it was just eyes so far, done in charcoal.

"So what do you think of Aerith?" Namine asked, giggling.

"She's a little..." Roxas trailed off, unable to come up with a word to describe her.

"Weird?" Kairi suggested.

"Bit of a space cadet?" Riku added.

"Both!" Sora exclaimed.

"Seriously, though, "Kairi said. "She's really nice, and not big on rules, but don't blow off the class. She won't hesitate to kick you out if she thinks you're just using this as a screw-around period. She can be pretty tough when she needs to be."

Namine nodded. "So get working! What do you think you're going to start with, guys?" she asked.

"I'll do pastels; I'm pretty good with those." Sora said.

"I'll get you some." Riku offered.

"I think I'm gonna work on the clay." Roxas said. "Don't know what I'll make yet, though."

"The clay is in those tubs over there." Kairi said. "Just grab a chunk and go crazy!"

Roxas headed over to where she had gestured. He grabbed a large hunk of clay from the plastic. He turned around with it in his hands, and almost ran into someone standing behind him. "Watch it!" the guy yelled. Roxas looked up and realized it was Axel.

Suddenly shy, Roxas stuttered an apology.

"It's cool. Just watch where you're going, okay? I like this shirt." Axel smirked and walked away. Roxas returned to the table, and Namine, Kairi, and Riku all looked shocked.

"That the nicest I've seen him act towards anyone in _years_" Riku said in wonder.

"Really? I wonder why..." Roxas trailed off.

"I don't know. Maybe he's turning back into the nice guy he used to be, before Xemnas..."

"Who's Xemnas?" Roxas asked, beginning to shape his clay.

"He used to be a student here." Namine began.

"He was a couple years ahead of Axel, who's a couple years ahead of us, so we never really knew him." Kairi interjected.

"He used to have this group, which he called 'the organization.' they pretty much ran the school while they were here. Xemnas was in charge... and then there was Xaldin, and Xigbar, Saix and Larxene...they were really mean. Anytime anyone did something they didn't approve of, they would 'discuss' their actions with them. And they would 'discuss' pretty hard. They were a pretty heartless bunch."

"Axel and his two best friends, Demyx and Zexion, they joined the Organization." Kairi continued. "I suppose they were hoping to escape them. You know what they say, if you can't beat em, join em."

"And then, nobody is really sure what went wrong." Riku said. "But something happened. Axel tried to leave the organization. And it was an unspoken rule, that you didn't just leave the organization. Xemnas must have done something horrible, though. Because ever since that day, he's been like this, he doesn't talk to anyone unless it's to be nasty to them."

"And you saw how Hayner and Pence talked about him. That's how everyone treats him. Like some kind of leper. And he just invites it." Namine shrugged her shoulders and went back to drawing her nose.

"Axel used to be a really cool guy." Riku said. "He was always the type to stick up for the little guy. I keep hoping he'll turn back into that nice guy again. Maybe... maybe he'll talk to you, Roxas."

"I don't know. It's not like I'm anything special..." Roxas looked at the clay he was unconsciously molding. It was turning into some kind of mask. Of what, he had no idea. "I think I will talk to him though. I would like to try. I don't know why, I just have this feeling..."

Riku looked at him solemnly. "I think your right, Roxas. I have a feeling too. You really should."

Namine nodded. "Definitely. Don't ignore things like that. It's your subconscious telling you what is right."

Kairi grinned. "My sister, the psychic." she rolled her eyes.

"I'm serious! Just because you have all the psychic abilities of a spoon..." Namine and Kairi went off into some good natured arguing, and Sora leaned in to talk to Roxas.

"Hey, for what it's worth, I think it might be a good idea, too. Seems like he could really use a friend." he said.

Roxas sighed. "Well, if we all agree, I suppose I'll have to, wont I?"

Sora grinned. "Well, he is kinda cute. All that red hair..." Roxas stuck out his tongue at his brother. "Don't give me that. I know you swing that way!"

"Yeah, and your about as straight as a spoon, so I wouldn't talk!"

"A spoon? Really? That can't be right. Spoon handles are straight!"

"Your right. You're about as straight as a hubcap!"

The brothers began to laugh, while Riku, Namine, and Kairi just stared at them.

"What's so funny?" Kairi asked.

"I'm pretty sure Roxas just made a gay joke..." Riku said to her. "A _really _bad one. Something about hubcaps."

"I don't get it." Kairi said, tilting her head and looking confused. "What does being gay have to do with hubcaps?"

At the same time, Sora, Roxas, Riku, and Namine all said "they're not straight!" which sent them into more laughter.

"Alright guys! Get your projects put away! You've got five minutes left!" Aerith called out. Roxas grabbed a plastic bag to wrap up his mask in.

"Any of you guys have gym next period?" Roxas asked.

"Not me!" Kairi and Namine said together.

"I do." Riku said. In a low voice, he added "So does Axel."

Roxas just smiled.

_Listen to your heart, when its calling to you, listen to your heart, there's nothing else you can do. I don't know the reason, and I don't know why, but listen to your heart, before you tell him goodbye._


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Gym Class Hero

Sorry it took so long for me to update. My computer kinda shit the bed.

So, if my badminton descriptions are screwy, bear with me, I haven't played in two years. This was kind of a fun chapter to write. Mostly because I like making fun of Hayner. The cocky bastard.

Anyways, here we go. We are headed to gym class. Axel and Roxas play some badminton. Yeehaw.

And to candy3314, I have to tell you, your reviews kinda make my day. You're hilarious. Big hugs for you!

I don't own these characters... La dee dah. Enjoy, duckies.

…...

Riku, Sora and Roxas headed down to the gym. "Hey, Riku, does this school have a weight room?" Sora asked as he wheeled past the music rooms.

"Yeah, it's right across from the gym" he replied. "As long as you check in with Coach Yuffie first, you're allowed to go in there and work out instead of doing regular gym class."

_Well that's good, _Roxas thought. _At least now we don't have to have the whole awkward 'what is Sora going to do during gym class' conversation. _To Riku, he said "sweet. So if I don't like what we're doing in class, I can just go work out instead?"

"Yup, but first, you have to meet Coach. She's pretty cool. She is the adviser for the Martial Arts Club."

Roxas was about to ask about that, when they arrived at the gym. In front of the doors stood a tiny woman with short dark brown hair, who was practically quivering with energy. "Welcome! You two must be my new students, Sora and Roxas Locke, right?"

"Yeah, I'm Sora, and he's Roxas."

She grinned widely. "Great! We're starting our badminton unit today, so you can come in, or go to the weight room, whichever you prefer!"

Sora immediately piped up, "I'll head to the weight room. Wheels aren't real great for racquet sports."

Riku laughed. "I'll do the weight room too. Badminton isn't really my thing."

Roxas was getting ready to say he would go to the weight room too, when he spotted Axel out of the corner of his eye, going into the gym with a racquet in his hand. _Dayum. The boy is freaking gorgeous. _"I think I'll play some badminton!" he said without removing his eyes from Axel. He finally turned back to them, to see Sora grinning like a madman.

"Great! Let's get going then! Riku, you'll show Sora the ropes in the weight room, right?"

"Sure, Coach, no problem." Riku answered amiably.

The three boys headed for the locker rooms.

…...

Changed and ready for class, Roxas sat through the brief tutorial on badminton rules that Coach Yuffie gave. She then announced that the wanted to have some people demonstrate. "Jeanette! Axel! Roxas!" she called. "Get up here! Jeanette, you'll be on my team. Axel and Roxas, you're on the other side. Let's do a little old-fashioned boys-versus-girl, shall we? "The girl named Jeanette smiled nervously at Roxas, and Axel just looked pissed. _It's my first day here; does she have to call me up? I can't screw this up, or I'll never live it down._

Yuffie did a perfect serve to Roxas, and he spiked it back at Jeanette, who missed. "Point for you!" Yuffie called out. Jeanette served next, and she and Axel volleyed back and forth, until he pegged it to the back corner of Yuffie's court. "Another point!" she called. _Wow, he's pretty good at this. _Roxas thought, impressed.

Roxas served next, and they volleyed it around. It wound up landing just inside Roxas' court. "Our point!" Yuffie called. "Alright, you get the idea, now split into teams, and we'll play King of the Court. Each match will be five minutes. If you win, rotate left, you lose, rotate right. This will be the Kings Court," she gestured to the court Roxas and Axel still stood on. "You can't go any higher than this one! The team who holds the Kings Court the longest by the end of the unit gets a prize!" she bounced over to the stereo. "Now let's get going!"

She hit a button, and 'Party in the USA' started blaring. She hit another button and grimaced. "So sorry about that!" she yelled. She turned the dial, and 'I Write Sins Not Tragedies' started playing. "Much better!"

Roxas turned to Axel. "Do you want to keep working together?" he asked apprehensively.

"Why not," Axel shrugged. "Nobody else will work with me."

_He sounds so forlorn,_ Roxas thought. _If he doesn't like being a social pariah, why does he act like that? Unless there's more to it than him just being a jerk, like I thought._ Roxas turned to see that their first opponents were Hayner and Pence.

"Hey Roxas!" Hayner called. "Ready to die?" he let off a wicked serve, which Roxas easily countered and sent directly to Hayner's feet.

"Sure, Hayner, but I think you're going to lose first." he looked over to Axel, whose face was twitching like he was holding back a grin.

Hayner gave him a death glare. "It's on, Locke!" he yelled. Pence just shook his head at his partner.

The game was vicious, but by the end, Roxas and Axel came out on top. "But... I've been top player three years running! How could I lose to _you_?" Hayner mourned. "This is so not over, Locke. I'll beat you yet."

Roxas shook his head. "You're starting to sound like a Disney villain, Ross. Now why don't you head down to the _queens _court where you belong?" Axel looked like he was trying very very hard no to laugh. Hayner just hung his head, and Pence laughed uproariously as they headed down a court.

Roxas turned to Axel. "We work pretty well together." he said.

"Yeah." Axel agreed. "And it's nice to see Ross get knocked down a few pegs. He's a cocky bastard."

Roxas grinned uncontrollably.

By the end of class, Roxas and Axel had yet to lose a single match. After changing back to his regular clothes, Roxas went out to meet Sora in the hall. "You don't have Computer Tech next period, do you?" he asked Riku.

"Nope," the silver haired boy shook his head. "I've got Math with Sora. I could probably take you down to the room though. If we hurry, I can most likely still make it to my class on time."

"No, don't do that. I'll figure it out. I'll just-"

"I have Computer Tech next period. I can show you the way."

Roxas turned and saw Axel standing behind him. "That would be great. Thanks!"

"Whatever. Let's go." Axel turned and headed down the hall, not looking to see if Roxas followed.

Roxas shrugged and followed. He looked back and saw Sora give him a grin and a wink, and Riku just cock an eyebrow. Roxas hurried to catch up with Axel.

_Run and tell all of the angels, cause this could last all night. I think I need a devil to help me make things right._


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Axel Suffers From Foot-in-Mouth Syndrome

Alright, I decided it was finally time to switch my POV. This chapter, and the next few, will be in Axel's point of view. Because I love Axel. And I like to know what all of my main characters are thinking.

Here is where my T rating starts to come in, because Axel kinda has a foul mouth. Sorry, that's just how I imagine it. Don't like it, don't read. But I really don't want to get any messages yelling at me about it again. I warned you.

Anyways, here you go. Keep reviewing! If I could, I would give you all cookies. You're good for my self-esteem :)

…...

Axel walked beside the new boy, Roxas, as they headed to Computer Tech. _What is it about this kid? _He wondered to himself. _Sure, he's cute, but that can't be the only reason I can't get him out of my fucking head. After spending so long pushing everyone away, why do I want to get closer to him?_ Shaking his head, he went around the corner and opened the door to Cid's classroom. Not looking to see if Roxas followed, he walked straight in as the bell rang. He made a beeline to his usual seat, all the way in the back corner.

Cid looked at Axel, and, talking around the toothpick that was always in his mouth, said "About time, Axel." Axel glared, but said nothing. _I swear to god, this guy hates me._ He looked around to see Roxas headed towards him. _A whole room full of seats, and he has to come sit next to me, doesn't he? Why doesn't he go sit next to the little blonde artist twit? _He looked at Namine, sitting in the second row, who was smiling at Roxas as he walked by, but he seemed to not notice her.

Roxas sat down in the seat next to him. "Thanks for showing me the way down here. I would have been totally lost! This school is huge compared to my last one." he said with a grin.

_I don't need this. Why did I have to frigging go offer to bring him down here? It's not like I give a rat's ass if that Riku kid gets in trouble._

Roxas frowned. "Are you okay?"

Unable to hold it in any longer, Axel burst out "why are you talking to me? Didn't you already hear? I'm the school outcast. Nobody with any sort of social standing has anything to do with me. Not since..." he broke off, stunned at himself. _What the hell? Diarrhea of the mouth much? And besides, I've worked hard to make sure nobody talks to me. It's better for everyone that way._

Roxas just shook his head. "I don't base my opinions on what others say, Axel. Take it from someone who knows, the gossip wheel doesn't churn out a whole lot of fact. I just felt like I wanted to talk to you, so I did. But if you want, I can just walk away..." he grabbed his book bag and started to turn away.

"Don't...don't go." Axel said quietly. He felt a peculiar sense of loss at the idea of Roxas leaving.

_What the FUCK?_

"I...I'm sorry. "

_What the hell am I apologizing for?_

"For being an ass..."

_But I'm ALWAYS an ass._

"I...um...i just..."

"You just don't know how to be any other way. It's cool." Axel watched Roxas sit back down, completely blown away by the guy, and by his own reactions. He hadn't felt this awkward...this unsure of himself... this …..Strange... well, ever, that he could think of. It had never been like this with Jamie. He resolved to hang around Roxas, until he figured out why this was happening, and made it end.

"So what are we supposed to be doing? Cid told me to ask you."

Axel grinned. "That's because I'm the best at this class. I finish all my assignments early, and Cid lets me kill time on the internet while everyone else works. We're creating web pages. Let me show you how to get started."

Axel spent the rest of the period teaching Roxas the basics. Again, he was amazed at himself. _I think I've talked to him today more that I've talked to anyone in the last week, _he thought. By the time he sat down at his own computer, satisfied that Roxas knew enough to get started, he realized that it was five minutes to the end of class, and he had accomplished nothing. But, oddly enough, he felt like he had done more today than he ever had before in school.

_This shit is too frigging weird for me._

_All the roads that lead us here are winding. And all the lights that light the way are blinding. There are many things that I would like to say to you, but I don't know how._


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Decision Making Sucks.

Oh, Axel... *sigh* you're so silly. Why would you want to avoid cute little Roxas? Lolz anyways, chapter 6. I'm getting the feeling that this story is going to be ungodly long. At least 30 chapters, if not more. And I apologize for not uploading very regularly, but my internet connection is really screwy, so I have to upload when I can.

And many thanks to all of you who have added this to your favorite stories, and added me to your author alerts. It makes me feel wonderfully special!

And thanks to NekoGirl2BusyWriting2Flirt, who corrected my failquote in chapter three. My bad. :)

HUGS! from me.

…...

"So what class do you have next?" Axel asked. _Smooth,_ _very_ _smooth._ He thought. _That's_ _almost_ _as_ _bad_ _as_ _asking_ _about_ _the_ _weather._

"I have history in room 205." Roxas replied.

"That's not far from my class. I can show you the way, if you want." he offered. _Just play it cool, pretend like this guy doesn't affect you at all... even though it's a total lie._

"Sure. That would be great. I have no idea where anything is around here. And I don't know who is in what class, so I can't ask anyone to take me around." Roxas complained. Then he grimaced. "Sorry, I sound like a whiny brat right there, don't I? Don't mind me."

_Shit, what do I say? _Axel thought. "Don't worry about it," is what he said.

"Ummmm, we have lunch after this period, right?"

"Yeah. If you want, I can meet you outside of your class and take you down to the cafeteria." _because that's not slightly stalkerish..._

"That would be awesome. It's just what I was going to ask, actually." Roxas said with a grin.

_Thank god... I don't think I can do this shit... I feel like a total moron every time I open my mouth._

They headed up the stairs together. When they reached the landing, he turned to Roxas. "Your classroom is two doors down on the left. I'll meet you here after class, alright?"

"Thanks again. I would have wandered around like a moron trying to find the room if it wasn't for you!"

"No problem. Although, you really wouldn't have. Namine would have showed you."

"Namine?"

"She was in Computer Tech too. Didn't you notice?"

"Ummmm... no. I wonder how I missed her?"

_Maybe he's just as preoccupied by me as I am by him... _ it was a comforting thought. _Maybe I'm not the only one feeling like a stumbling idiot._ "Later," he said.

"See you."

Axel headed to his English class, lost in thought. He almost walked past the classroom, because he wasn't paying attention. _Damn it, you need to get this guy out of your head! _He yelled at himself as he took his seat. _ Have you forgotten what happened the last time you fell for a guy? Have you forgotten what Xemnas did to you? And he promised he would do the same to anyone else you ever cared for. Push this guy away, like you do everyone else._

But the idea of pushing Roxas away physically hurt. It was like a red hot poker was being shoved into his chest. _You don't even know the guy. It shouldn't feel like this..._ the rational part of his mind said. But his heart wouldn't listen. _Maybe...maybe it's been long enough. Maybe Xemnas has mellowed out. Maybe... maybe it will be different. _

But he knew that it wasn't true. No matter how much time passed, Xemnas would never forget his promises. And any sort of relationship he tried to have with Roxas would just get the guy hurt. And that idea was even more painful than not seeing him. Axel knew full well what Xemnas was capable of. He never wanted to put Roxas through that. _I'll take him down to lunch like I promised. _He decided. _But... but I can't do any more than that. I'll have to tell him to back off. That I... that I want nothing to do with him. It's the only way to protect him._

But for the rest of class, he couldn't think of anything but Roxas, and how disappointed he was going to be. _God damn you, Xemnas. _He thought angrily. _God damn you. You're still ruining my fucking life..._

_Misery, oh, misery, tell me why does this heart make a fool of me? Seems it's my destiny for love to cause me misery._


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter7: Round Two of Foot-in-Mouth Syndrome.

Both of these chapters are pretty short…. So I'm just publishing them both at the same time. Enjoy!

….

At the end of class, Axel walked slowly out, dreading what he was about to do. _I don't have a choice... I can't let it happen again..._ he headed over to the landing, where he saw Roxas waiting. _Fuck, he's adorable...do I really have to...? Yes,_ he resolved firmly. _I have to do this. _He walked over to Roxas. "Let's go" he said roughly. _Just turn into asshole Axel. You can do this. Just pretend this doesn't kill you._

"You okay?" Roxas asked him.

_No, I'm sure as shit not okay!_

"I'm fine. Let's get going already. I don't have all day to play tour guide, you know."

"Ummmm... okay. Sorry I asked. You didn't have to offer though."

_Shit, I did offer, didn't I?_

"Yeah, well, you're just so pathetic I had to. That's all. Not like I really give two shits anyways. "

_Fuck, I hate this._

"Why are you being such a jerk? What crawled up your ass and died?"

They had reached the bottom of the stairs. Axel pointed down the hall. "The cafeteria's that way. Just follow the mass exodus of students. You'll find it." he paused. _Finish it... _ _"_And if you hadn't noticed, this is how I am. You don't like it, then don't frigging talk to me."

Axel turned and began walking outside. _That ought to do it. He won't have anything to do with me now._

"You're wrong."

Axel stopped in his tracks. "Wrong about what?" He asked without turning around.

"That's not how you are." he said. Axel turned to ask him what the hell he knew, but he continued. "Not inside. For some reason, you feel like you have to push everyone away, so you keep up this jerk facade. But I saw how you really are earlier. I don't know why you feel like you have to push me away all of a sudden, but as soon as you figure out yourself, I'd like to talk to the real Axel again."

Roxas turned and walked away then. _Holy jeebis. The kids friggin psychic._

"I... I'm sorry." Axel said without thinking. _Fuck. _"I just... I can't... I..." _what the fuck do I say? I can't just tell him everything right here._

"I get it. There's something that's making you scared to get close to anyone. Just... just know that when you get past that fear, I'm still here. I still want to talk to you. And hear your story."

Axel was speechless. _Get out of here. Before you say something incredibly stupid. _He was walking away, towards the door, without even realizing it. He stopped, and without turning around, blurted out, "Thanks. For... for saying that."

_Nix the part about not saying something incredibly stupid._

Axel all but ran the rest of the way to the doors, without once looking back.

He almost missed it. The last thing Roxas said. The most important thing.

"God knows, I want to be closer to you."

_So what if you can see the dark inside of me, no one can ever change this animal I have become. Help me believe it's not the real me, somebody help me tame this animal. Somebody wake me from this nightmare, I can't escape this hell._


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Roxas is a Space Cadet

Sorry, guys. This chapter is kinda meandering. Can't be helped. I needed to get all of this in. I've switched back to Roxas' POV. I was missing his awkward-turtle-ness. (That's not a word, really, but whatever.) Mostly its people making fun of each other. And a tiny bit of actual story advancement. (Leave me alone, I'm in a bit of a rut.) Don't worry, my duckies, next chapter will be better. Anyways, Tally-ho! Read on!

And once again, I do not own these perfectly lovely characters. Sad panda is sad. :(

…...

_God damn it!_ Roxas screamed in his head. _I'm such an ass. I really ought to think before I just blurt things out like that. Now I sound like a creep. I'm just gonna hope he didn't hear me. _He berated himself all the way down the hall. He hadn't meant to say it. It just... popped out. _Not that it wasn't true. But it's not exactly normal to want to spend every second with someone you just met today._

"Hey Roxas!"

He looked behind him and saw Namine, Kairi, Riku, Sora and Olette walking down the hall. "Oh, hey guys. How was class?" Roxas asked.

"Fine, but what's up with you? We called you, like, twenty times!" Namine said, skipping to catch up with Roxas.

"Space Cadet much?" Kairi said, laughing.

"Oh... just... thinking." Roxas _really _didn't want to explain everything that had just happened out in the open.

"It's cool. Just, plug in the hearing aide next time, okay?" Sora joked.

"Ummmm... you don't _plug in_ a hearing aide, doofus." Roxas replied, grateful for the out.

"Oh yeah..." Sora said, grinning. "Leave me alone! I'm a cripple!"

"Your brains not crippled, moron."

"You're so mean to me, Roxas. And you call me names. I should get a new brother, this one's defective!"

"Brothers are supposed to be mean. And besides, who would you replace me with? Riku?"

Sora turned six shades of red and spluttered at him. _Bahahahah! Sora likes him! _Roxas looked at Riku, and realized he was purposely looking at everything but Sora. _And he likes him back! It's about time. Sora could use some good luck. And Riku seems like a really nice guy._

"Oh, please. Riku would be a terrible brother!" Namine said, grinning. She obviously had noticed the same thing Roxas had. "He's make a much better boyfriend, don't you agree, Kairi?"

"Oh, yes." Kairi said, grinning evilly. "It's too bad, really. All the good ones around here seem to be gay. Such a shame for us girls. But great for those boys who are 'about as straight as a hubcap,' right Roxas?"

"Absolutely." Roxas hadn't thought it was possible for anyone to be as red as Riku was in that moment. He was verging on purple. And Sora was almost as bad. It was hysterically funny to pick on the two of them.

For the first time in a long time, he felt like part of a group. It had been too long since he'd had friends to just goof off with. After the accident, everyone had pulled away from him and Sora. As they joined the line at the cafeteria, he listened to them further tease Riku.

But as they made their way through the line to get their meals (nasty looking nachos, pizza that had more grease than cheese, or hard-as-a-rock bagels: he supposed bad cafeteria food was universal), Roxas found his thoughts going back to Axel. _What is it that he's hiding from?_ He wondered. _What happened to him? And why is he so scared to let anyone in?_ As he grabbed his food (the overly-greasy pizza- he'd just soak up the grease with a napkin or something) and sat at the table with the others, he couldn't help but wonder if he'd approached this wrong. He shouldn't have criticized at him. He'd just been so frustrated. _I had finally gotten through to him. The REAL him. And then I lost it. It's just so irritating!_ His thoughts continued in this vein until he realized that everyone was staring at him.

"What?" he asked. "Did I miss something?"

"Wow, Kairi was right! You are a space cadet today!" Sora said.

"You make it sound like me being right is an unusual occurrence!" Kairi huffed.

"Well..." Namine said, grinning.

"Shut up." Kairi said.

"Anyways, I asked what you were thinking about so intently." Olette explained.

"And you ignored us." Namine said.

"And then I suggested it might be a certain redhead." Riku added. Roxas turned red.

"And you still ignored us." Namine chimed in.

"Well, he's not ignoring us anymore!" Sora laughed. "Look how red he is!"

Roxas turned to his twin. "Shut the hell up! What happened to brotherly love?"

"I dunno, but revenge is a bitch, isn't she?"

"Damn. I should have expected that." Roxas shook his head. _I really need to pay more attention to what's going on around me._

"So anyways, tell us! You were thinking about Axel, weren't you!" Kairi gushed. "How did things go?"

"Yeah, you guys were really friendly in Computer Tech. But he's not here. So what's up?" Namine asked.

"Well... we were talking and stuff, and he showed me the way to my history class, and I asked him to bring me down to lunch..." he trailed off, unsure of how to phrase his complete and utter failure.

"He turned back into jerk-Axel after the class, didn't he?" Riku guessed.

"Yup. I told him that when he wanted to be a nice guy again, I was waiting for him." he decided to leave out the embarrassing little thing he had said at the end. No one needed to hear about _that, _he decided.

"Wow..." Sora said softly.

"It's just because he had 45 minutes to stop and think, instead of just doing what he wanted. Give it some time. You've already made more progress with him in a couple hours than anyone else has in three years." Riku said. "Anyone else, he wouldn't have given the time of day."

"Well that's encouraging." to himself, he added _maybe next time I won't make such an ass of myself... Doubtful though._

"So what do you have next period, Roxas?" Olette asked, clearly changing the subject. _ Oh, Olette, I owe you one._

"I have English. Does anyone else?" he asked.

"I do. I'll take you to class." Olette offered.

"Thanks a bunch."

"No problem. Glad to be able to help!" she gave him a sweet smile.

Roxas smiled back. The others went on to other conversations, and Roxas tried to include himself in them. But his mind kept wandering back to Axel. _I really have to get this guy off my brain..._

The bell rang, and Roxas headed out behind Olette. Sora wheeled up beside him. "Hey, don't worry so much." he said. "Whatever will be, will be, Roxas. I'm sure he'll figure it out soon enough."

Roxas grinned at his brother. "Feeling philosophical today, Sora?"

Sora grinned back. "You know it!"

Roxas headed out of the lunchroom feeling much better than he did when he came in.

_All I can say is that my life is pretty plain; I like to watch the puddles gather rain. And all I can do is just pour some tea for two, you don't like my point of view because there's no way, it's not sane._


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Yet Another Surprise.

Hahaha, so the more I write this, the more Roxas is starting to sound like me... Lmao. I have a tendency to put myself into all of my characters a little bit, but with Roxas, it's... wow.

And this school just gets weirder and weirder. I wish I went to a school like this. That's all I have to say.

Oh, candy3314, you rock. Your reviews are hilarious. Just saying.

And coolboi12, I am sorry I couldn't really fit your idea into the story. It was a good one, though! I'm always open to ideas and such.

If anyone is curious about the songs I use here, send me a message, and I'll send you the list.

Enjoy! And as always, I do not in any way shape or form own these characters. They belong to the badassery that is Square Enix.

…...

English was boring, as Roxas had expected. He liked to read and all, but he hated all the grammar stuff, and how the teachers had a tendency to tear apart anything that was written and explain it three ways from Sunday. But he loved Orwell's _1984,_ which was what they were reading in class. Axel wasn't in the class.

His next class, Chemistry, was strange. The class itself was fine, but the teacher... was a weird little creature that they called a Moogle. He...she...it wasn't a bad teacher, just totally not expected. _What the hell is it with this school? _Roxas wondered. Axel sat in the row across from him, and the entire time he took notes, he kept finding himself staring at the redhead. Which wouldn't have been as bad, but Axel kept looking at him too, and then looking away.

By the end of the class, Roxas was feeling incredibly awkward. He turned to Riku, who sat beside him. "So, where do they hold chorus?" he asked.

"In the auditorium. Namine's right down the hall, and she has chorus too. If we hurry, you can meet up with her, and she'll take you down," Riku said. "I'm not in chorus; I can't carry a tune in a bucket."

Roxas talked as they headed down the hall "eh, it's not everybody's thing. I'm musical, but I'm not really good at school stuff. I suck at science and math, and I'm not very good with English or history either. It just depends on the person, I guess." he saw Namine, who waved to him. Before going to catch up with her, he turned to Riku. "Thanks for all your help today. I appreciated it."

"No problem." Riku started to say something else, but Roxas cut him off.

"And by the way, Sora really likes you. And I like you so far too. I know you just met him, but as his brother, I'm saying I totally approve, and as a friend, I say go for it!" he laughed at the stunned expression on Riku's face, and ran down the hall to catch up with Namine.

…...

"So, Roxas, you like to sing?" Namine asked as they walked side by side to the auditorium where the choir met.

"Yeah. I used to be in a band back home... But we broke up not long before I moved here." _more like they kicked me out because they didn't want me around anymore, but why stress the details?_

"Really? What kind of music do you like?" she asked.

Oh, a little bit of everything, really. Mostly Rock, but I like some of just about every genre of music. Except rap. I hate rap." he grinned.

She laughed. "Me, I love my heavy metal. Give me some Avenged Sevenfold or Bullet for My Valentine any day of the week!"

"For some reason, I can't imagine you as a metal head."

"Nobody really can. Eh, I like what I like."

They stood outside the auditorium doors, and Roxas grabbed the door, holding it open for Namine. He noticed someone else coming out of the corner of his eye, and kept holding the door.

The person turned out to be Axel. He swept past, ignoring Roxas. "I didn't expect him to be here." he said to Namine as they walked down the rows.

"He's one of the best singers in the school. He's also an amazing actor. He could have the lead in any of the musicals, but for some reason, he refuses to audition. It's something Miss Kimberly laments every year. She's the chorus director, and she also directs the musicals. She's really nice."

"Huh..." was all he replied. _God, the guy sounds more and more my type. I've always gone for the musical sort._

They stopped by a pretty, tall, blonde woman who stood in front of the piano. "Miss Kimberly, this is Roxas Locke. He's new."

The woman looked up and gave him a warm smile. "So you are. Well, I'm Miss Kimberly. Have you sung in a choir before, or is this your first time?"

"I've done this before. I'm a tenor." he replied.

"Wonderful! I always need new tenors. All of my guys seem to sing bass. You can go over there. The section leader is Axel Firennos, so just talk to him, and have him add you to his list. I'm glad to have you here!" Miss Kimberly smiled and bustled off to talk to some of the girls in the soprano section.

"He's section leader. Of course." he muttered to Namine.

She grinned. "I would have warned you if I had thought about it. Well, I better get to my spot. See you later!" she waved and headed over to the alto section.

Resigned, he headed over to where Axel stood. "Miss Kimberly said to have you add me to your list." he said, staring at his feet. _God, why do I act so awkward around him?_

"Huh... of course." Axel muttered. He scrawled something onto the clipboard he carried. "The sheet music is in the folders on that rack over there." he gestured to a stand over by the edge of the stage. "Find a spot and get ready for warm-ups." he paused for a second, like he was going to say something else. "Try to keep up." was all he said, and then turned away to talk to Miss Kimberly.

Roxas grabbed a folder from the rack and stood next to a guy he didn't know, dressed all in black, with the weirdest haircut he'd ever seen. It looked like a cross between a Mohawk and a mullet. The guy turned to him. "I'm Demyx Turquesa." he said. "Are you new?"

"Yeah. I'm Roxas Locke." he said.

Demyx grinned, "Oh, you're the one who's got Axel's panties in a bunch? I haven't seen him this stirred up in years!"

Roxas was taken aback. He wanted to ask the guy what he meant, but at that moment, Miss Kimberly stepped up to the piano. Demyx pulled a packet of music labeled 'warm-ups' out of his folder, and Roxas did the same. _What the hell? What does he mean? Axel just walked away. And it's not like he's acted any different now than he did this morning when he flipped me off!_

He went through the warm-ups, and then Miss Kimberly announced "Today after school, we're having auditions for the solos on 'Somebody to Love'. I expect to see lots of you there! Now let's pull out the sheet music and get started on that!" he pulled out the sheet music for the old Queen Song, grinning. He'd performed the song with his band a ton of times, being a huge Freddie Mercury fan. The rest of the band had laughed at him, but hey, he liked what he liked. _Maybe_ _I should audition. It's not like I don't know the piece, _he thought.

The end of class came, and he walked over to Namine. "Are you auditioning for the solo?" he asked her.

"Yeah. I figured, why not? Do you want to?" she asked.

"I'm thinking I do. I know the song by heart. I'm just a little nervous, since I don't really know anyone here."

"I'm sure you'll be fine. Besides, I'll be with you, so there's no need to be nervous!"

Roxas was nervous anyways.

_Sing with me, sing for the year, sing for the laughter and sing for the tears, sing with me, just for today, maybe tomorrow, the good lord will take you away._


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: A New Soloist?

Yay! Ten chapters! I think I'm doing pretty well. I have a feeling that Demyx is going to be a fun character. So yeah... auditioning for a solo the first day! Totally something I would do. Lolz.

So, I'm publishing two chapters again. Why? Because I can! XD

And you all are probably gonna hate me, because this chapter ends in a bit of a cliffhanger. Just saying.

Oh, and by the way, any of your loyal readers who are looking for other stories to check out, you should really read 'Is There an Elephant in the Room?' by Sunechirei. It's wonderful. I'm in love. Just saying.

And, still, I don't own these characters in any way, shape, or form. I'm starting to run out of different ways to say that, and I really detest repeating myself. :/ Blargh.

…...

They stayed in the auditorium as most of the class filtered out. Roxas texted Sora to let him know where he was. There were seven other people there for the audition, including both Demyx and Axel, who were sitting side by side on the edge of the stage, talking. _So...he does have friends. Everyone seems to think he's all alone. _Roxas remembered Riku mentioning Demyx this morning, when he was telling Axel's story. _He was one of his friends from before...maybe he'll help me out, help me get through to him. I'll have to try and talk to him some more._

Miss Kimberly started playing the opening chords on the piano. "Alright guys, lets gather around the piano. I hate to disappoint, but there's only two solo's, so not everyone will be getting one. We'll just start from the first solo, so open up your sheet music. We'll sing it through together, and then we'll go through and do it individually." she began to play the song, and they all sang along. _Wow, there's a lot of good singers here..._ he thought to himself. _This is gonna be tough competition._

They went through to the end of the first solo, and then Miss Kimberly started singling people out. The first three were girls, all sopranos' who sang nicely enough, but it just didn't sound right for the part. Namine went up, and she sang very well, right up to the last line, where her voice cracked. Roxas looked at her sympathetically. The next girl went up, and Namine came over to Roxas.

"I blew it," she whispered, looking dejected.

"You were great right up till the end. I'm sure she will take that into consideration."

"I guess..." she still looked very depressed.

The girl and another guy went, both singing well, but neither seemed like anything special. Demyx stepped up next, and belted it out in an incredible voice that Roxas had not expected at all. He was blown away. _Wow, I'm willing to bet he gets one! _He thought, very impressed.

Next was Axel. He sang with a voice as smooth as silk, a voice to rival Freddie Mercury's own for dexterity. Once again, Roxas was blown away. _ I know now why so few people showed up for this audition. Against these guys, no one stands a chance!_

"Good luck, Roxas!" Namine said, smiling.

"Thanks," he replied. _I'm gonna need it..._

He stepped up, closed his eyes, and sang from memory.

"_Each morning I get up, I die a little,_

_ Can't barely stand on my feet._

_ Take a look in the mirror and cry, 'Lord whatcha doing to me?'_

_ I spent all my years believing you, and I just can't get no relief_

_ Oh, somebody, oh somebody,_

_ Can anybody find me somebody to love?"_

He finished the part, and opened his eyes, to see everyone staring at him, looking shocked. "Ummmm... that's all?" he asked. _Why are they staring at me like that?_

Miss Kimberly was the first to recover herself. "Uhhhh... yes, that's all. Thanks for auditioning, everybody! The results will be on my office door tomorrow morning!"

The group broke up, going their separate ways. "Roxas! You didn't tell me you were _that _good!" Namine exclaimed.

"Huh? I'm nothing special." he said, shaking his head.

"Are you _kidding?_ You were incredible! It's going to be you and Axel who get the solos, you mark my words." they headed out of the auditorium together, running into Axel and Demyx at the door.

"You're pretty good, kid." Axel said, and walked out into the hall.

Demyx shook his head. "That's my Axel, the king of the understatement. You were frigging amazing, dude!" he grinned and followed his friend out.

Namine and Roxas walked out and saw Sora and Riku waiting in the hall. "Hey! I didn't expect to see you here!" Namine said.

"Yeah, well, doofus here forgot that I have no sense of direction. If I were going to try to get home on my own, I'd get all kinds of lost, and probably wind up halfway back to Destiny Islands." Sora said, grinning.

"Why didn't you go and find Ventus or Vanitas?" he asked.

"Well... I kinda wanted to hang out a while longer, too..." Sora turned red again.

Roxas grinned. "Whatever. Lets head home." the four of them walked out the side doors and towards the student parking lot, all the time, Namine going on about Roxas' singing.

"Namine, I'm not _that _good." he protested.

At the same time, Sora and Namine both said "Yes you are."

Roxas just rolled his eyes. Sora looked at Namine and said "Don't worry, he's always like this. He doesn't seem to realize how crazy talented he is."

"I guess so!" she exclaimed.

"Whatever. Just drop it, okay? Let's go home, Sora." he headed down the street.

"I can give you a ride home, Roxas!" Riku called. "I have a car." he gestured to a small gray sedan Roxas hadn't noticed, sitting a few parking spaces away from where they stood.

Roxas looked at the car, and found himself short of breath. _Oh, my god, it looks just like..._ His knees gave out, and he collapsed on to the ground.

The others raced over to him. "Roxas, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Namine was freaking out.

He tried to tell her he'd be fine, but he couldn't get his breath. He heard Sora murmur "Roxas, you need to just breathe..." but he couldn't seem to get himself back to normal.

_It looks just like my car I can't do this why does it look the same I can't get in there it looks just like my car oh my god it's going to happen again I can't do this I can't handle this please make it stop someone please-_

"Roxas, can you hear me? ROXAS!" mutely, Roxas found himself nodding, still lost to the panic. "You need to listen to me. Listen to my voice. I'm going to count. I want you to breathe in as I count to three, okay? Just breathe." he found himself listening to the voice, a voice he couldn't connect to anyone at the moment. "1... 2... 3...4..." Roxas found the strength in himself to suck in the air as the voice counted for him. "Okay, now let it go, slowly, 3... 2...1..." he let the air go. The voice kept counting, and he kept breathing in time, until he was back in his head enough to look up. He realized with a start that the one who had been counting for him was none other than Axel.

"You back with us now?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah... I'm okay." Roxas responded.

"No, you're not. But your better than you were." Axel looked worried. Roxas looked past him and saw Sora, Riku and Namine standing behind him, looking just as worried.

"Really. I'll be okay... I just... I think I'll walk home, Riku." he looked at the silver-haired boy, who, if it was possible, looked even more concerned.

"No you won't. I'll take you. Is my truck okay?" Axel asked. He pointed to a bucket of rust sitting not far from them.

"I... I guess..." he was unsure of how to respond to Axel's sudden concern for him. _Well, he did just bring me out of one of the worst panic attacks I've ever had. _Axel grabbed him by the arm and pulled him up. Roxas stood for a moment on his own, and then lost his footing again. Axel caught him around the waist and half-carried him to the passenger side of his truck.

Axel went back over, spoke briefly to the others, grabbed Roxas' back pack, and got into the truck. "Do you want to go straight home, or do you want to go somewhere for a bit until you feel better?"

"Ummmm..." _If I go straight home, Ventus and Vanitas will want to talk to me about my first day, and Sora will tell mom about the attack, and she'll go into mother-hen mode, and I ….. _"Do you mind riding around a bit? I don't think I'm ready to go home yet."

"Yeah, that's fine. I know a place we can go." Axel started up the truck, which made some extremely loud protests, and they drove out of the parking lot.

_My bones all resonate a burning lullaby; you can't take that from me, just go ahead and try. She stands at the shoreline, with hands in the air, her words pierce the dark night, does anyone care?_


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Discoveries

Wow! Intense couple of chapters. I'm switching back to Axel's POV for now.

We finally find out what happened to Roxas and Sora. It's pretty bad. So if you are concerned, just... don't read or something. Idk. I'm thinking I might actually need to change the rating on this to M.

And... still, as much as I keep hoping, I still don't own Axel. Or anyone else for that matter.

…...

_What the fuck is wrong with me. I go and say I'll stay away from this kid, and here I am, riding around with him in my truck. I'm retarded or something. _Axel was so angry with himself his knuckles were white on the steering wheel. He glanced over at Roxas, who sat with his head hung low, so his blonde hair obscured his bright blue eyes. _….there I go again. I'm friggin obsessed._

Axel drove to a fast food restaurant, and pulled into the drive thru. "Do you want anything?" he asked.

"No. I'm not hungry."

"You probably should eat something. Your body could use it. You probably just used up your reserves of energy, and it will help you feel better."

Roxas looked up and glared at him. "What are you? A fucking expert on panic attacks? I told you I'll be fine. You can just take me to the park and drop me off or something."

_So he does have a temper._ "I suppose you could call me an expert. I've been having them on and off for almost three years."

Roxas visibly deflated. _Apparently he doesn't stay mad long, either. _"I'm sorry. I know you're just trying to help, and I'm sure I'll be fi-"

Axel cut him off. "If you tell me you'll be fine one more time, I'm gonna smack you. After an attack like that, you're not going to be fine until some time has passed, and you've had something to eat. Now I'm buying you some fucking food, and you're going to fucking eat it. And then we're going to drive around aimlessly, or go to the park, or whatever the fuck it is you want to do, that will get your mind off of whatever it is that sent you into the panic attack in the first place. Because that brooding thing you were just doing? That's not gonna help. Now, what the fuck do you want to eat?"

Roxas just stared at him, looking astonished. _Well shit, I think I just crossed the line. _Axel thought. _But dammit, I just couldn't help it. He's not going to be able to pull himself out again if he keeps brooding away like that._

Suddenly, Roxas started laughing. "I'm sorry. But you have the strangest way of being nice I've ever seen, Axel." he shook his head. "I don't really care what I eat. Food all tastes the same anyways when I'm stressed."

_Shit. I thought he was gonna blow a gasket or something. _Axelshrugged. "Fast food all tastes the same anyways. Fries okay?"

Roxas just looked at him for a second. "Sure, fries are okay. Um, I'm sorry I freaked out on you. I just-"

"Hey, I don't like people telling me what to do, either. It's cool." Axel pulled the truck through to the intercom, ordered two large fries and two vanilla milkshakes, paid at the first window, and went to wait at the second.

"So, ummmm... where are we going after we get food?" Roxas asked.

"I figure we can go where I always head when I want to get away from people. There's this little back road, and there's a cliff out there, and the view is..." he broke off. "We'll see when we get there. I'm not very good at describing things." he shrugged. _And this is where anyone else would be laughing at how much of a moron I sound like..._

"okay." was all Roxas said.

The food came up to the window, and Axel handed the bag to Roxas, pulling out of the drive thru and into traffic. They drove in silence for a while, until Axel had pulled off the main highway and onto a little dirt road through the trees. He stopped, grabbed the milkshakes, and said "come on. And bring the food. We have to walk a little ways."

_Why am I doing this? _Axel wondered as he walked. Roxas said nothing.

They emerged from the woods suddenly. They stood about twenty feet from the edge of a cliff. And over the cliffs edge, they could see the giant old castle that Ansem had lived in years ago. Now it housed the city's security systems and the police force. But the place was gorgeous, especially in the late afternoon light.

"Wow...this is incredible." Roxas said as he sat down near the cliffs edge.

"Yeah... it's pretty relaxing up here." Axel replied.

"How many other people have you brought up here?" Roxas asked softly.

You're the first..." Axel replied almost inaudibly. _Damn, he's perceptive._

Roxas didn't say anything, just pulled out the fries and gave Axel his. He grabbed his shake, popped the top off, and started dunking his fries in it. _Well, okay then. Whatever floats your boat, I guess._

After a few minutes, Roxas stopped eating and looked up into the sky. "I guess you're probably curious about why seeing a car sent me into a panic attack like that." he said.

"Yeah, I guess, but you don't have to tell me." Axel looked at his hands, and his untouched French fries. He hadn't really wanted them, only bought them so that Roxas wouldn't feel awkward.

"I kinda want to tell you, if you don't mind... I... I never really talk about it."

"Well, okay then. I'll listen."

Roxas sucked in a deep breath. "Well... I used to have a car that was almost identical. And... well, about seven months ago, I was driving with Sora, who had just finished Tai kwon do practice. This was... this was when he could still walk. We were driving down one of the back roads towards home, and there was this hitch hiker. Sora... Sora told me not to, but I pulled over anyways, and picked him up. He looked like a regular guy, and he had a big duffel bag he was carrying, and I guess I felt sorry for him." Roxas paused, and ran a hand through his spiky blonde hair.

"He...he said his name was Aden, and that his car had broken down about three miles back. His cell phone was dead, so he had grabbed his stuff and started walking. I offered to go back to his car, and see if we could jump it or something. He said no, that he just wanted to get to town. I came to this nasty hairpin curve in the road, one where the road drops off into the river on the one side, and I came to a stop to make sure no one was coming around the other side. The guy... He grabbed Sora by the hair, and put a knife to his throat. Told me to pull off of the road, or he would kill him."

Roxas closed his eyes, took in a long, shaky breath, and continued. "I pulled off the road as soon as I could, by some farmer's cornfield. The guy told me to drive right into field, so I did. He... he told me... he told me to take my keys and toss them out the window. And since he still had the knife at Sora's throat, I did. I knew that the guy wasn't going to let us go alive, but I was hoping that maybe I could... I don't know; maybe find an opportunity to get away or something. So I did what he said."

"He grabbed some rope out of his duffel bag, and told me to tie Sora up on the seat. Sora looked at me, and told me not to do it. That I should just try to escape. The entire time I was tying him down..." Roxas' voice broke. "The entire time I was doing it, he was telling me it wasn't worth it. That _he _wasn't worth it."

Roxas paused, shaking, and seemed to be trying to stop himself from crying. Without thinking, Axel pulled Roxas into his arms. Roxas let him, and even relaxed into his arms a bit. "You don't have to do this." Axel whispered into his ear.

"Yes, I do. Please let me finish."

Axel stroked his hair. "Okay. Do whatever you need to do. I'm here for you."

Roxas took another deep breath and continued. "I made sure I tied him up really loose, so that he could get away. I knew that might be the only chance we had. The guy just checked all the knots, tightening them up as I went along. After I... I had finished tying up Sora, he told me to... to do things to him. I... I did everything he told me to. And when... when it was over, he... he stabbed Sora. Stabbed him over and over and over..." Roxas was shuddering violently, and Axel just held him and let him talk.

"And then... he turned to me... and he... he told me I needed to practice more. He... he said that I was the worst blow job he'd ever had. And then he left. He ran off. I... I cut the ropes on Sora, and I called 911. They saved his life, but the knife had partially severed his spine...he was in a coma for two weeks, and nobody thought he would survive. But... that's why he's in a wheelchair now...because I... because I was such a fucking dumbass. I picked that guy up. I never should have stopped. I should have done something, anything. I should have-"

Axel put his finger to Roxas' lips. "shh. There's nothing more you could have done. If you had fought against him, neither of you would have survived. And there's no way you could have ever known what the guy would do. You were just being a good person. How could you have known he was a fucking psycho? This is not your fault. Not in any way. You can't blame yourself for this. You're just tearing yourself apart."

Axel rocked him, and stroked his hair, and whispered over and over that it was not his fault. He held him until the shaking subsided. And then, they just sat together, Roxas lying in Axel's arms, staring out into the darkening sky.

_And when it's through, it's through; fate will twist the both of you. So come on baby, come on over, let me be the one to hold you._


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Day is Done...

Poor, poor Roxas. What a horrifying experience. I know it's just a story... But I just can't help but feel like a jerk for doing that to these characters! :(

Oh, and candy3314, your very silly. I made many references to Sora's wheelchair. You need to read a little closer! XD

We're closing on the first day of this story... it only took me twelve chapters... lmao. Don't worry; time will start passing faster now.

And yup, as always... I do not own.

…...

Axel and Roxas sat together until the first stars began to come out. They had sat in silence for so long, Roxas' whisper sounded abnormally loud in Axel's ear.

"I should probably go home soon..." he said, but made no attempt to move from Axel's arms.

"Yeah... do you think you're okay to go home?" Axel asked. _Because I would sit out here with you all night if you would let me..._

"I guess. My mother is going to freak out on me for being gone so long." this time, he did pull himself out of Axel's embrace. Roxas looked up at him, seeming to search for words for a moment.

"Thank you, Axel. Thank you so much."

Axel said nothing, just stood, and held out a hand to Roxas. The blonde took it, and he pulled him up. They dusted the dirt from themselves, grabbed the remains of their food, and headed back through the trees to Axel's truck.

They hopped in the rusty pickup and headed back towards the main drag. "Do you mind if I turn on the radio?" Roxas asked.

"Sure." Roxas pressed the button, and 'Fallen Leaves' by Billy Talent started playing. Roxas began to sing along softly.

"You have a beautiful voice." Axel said.

Roxas turned pink. "Thank you. So do you. You were great in the auditions today."

Axel smiled. "I think this is the first time the solo parts won't automatically go to me and Demyx."

"Really? I mean, you're both so good..." Roxas blushed more at the praise._ God, he's cute. _"Namine says that she's sure it will be you and I that get the solos."

"She's probably right. Which will leave Demyx just tickled pink. He doesn't really like doing the solo parts; he just does it because I do. We've been each other's only real friends since Zexion graduated early. And Demyx has always been kind of a follower. He generally just does what I do." Axel slowed down as they pulled up to a four-way intersection. "You're going to have to tell me where to go from here; I have no idea where you live."

Roxas blushed again. "Turn right here. Sorry, I didn't even think about that."

"No worries. So, just out of curiosity, do you play any instruments?"

"I play the piano, the guitar, the cello, the violin... pretty much anything with strings, I can play. I used to be in a band, before... before _it_ happened. Afterward, though, everyone pulled away from Sora and I. Sora used to be a major athlete, and I think everyone blamed me for taking away their star. And they didn't really know how to behave around Sora once it came out that he was paralyzed. That's why we moved." Roxas made a face. "And that's a _lot _more information than you asked for. Sorry. Turn left up here, I'm the third house on the right."

"You apologize a lot, Roxas. Don't worry so much. I'm not going to bail on you for something like that. And I really don't mind. I like learning more about you."

Axel pulled up to the curb and stopped the truck. He reached behind the seat and grabbed Roxas' backpack. Handing it to him, he said "I guess I'll see you tomorrow. Do you want a ride in? I imagine Riku will be picking up Sora on his way in, most likely."

"That would be great, if you didn't mind. I haven't got the money to replace my car yet."

"No problem. I'll be here at 7:45."

Roxas hopped out of the truck. He turned back to look at Axel. "Thank you again for listening to me. And, someday, when you decide you need to tell someone your story, I would really like to return the favor." without waiting for a reply, he turned and headed up the walk. He went up the step, and turned back to wave before stepping into the house.

_Wow..._ Axel was lost in thought as he pulled away from the curb. _He's amazing. To be able to come back from all that... I don't know many people who could have survived something that traumatic... I don't know if _I _could have. He's really incredible._

Axelstoppedcold.

_Shit. Now there's no _way _I'm going to be able to stay away from him. God damn it._

_In a crooked little town, they were lost but never found, fallen leaves, fallen leaves, fallen leaves on the ground. Run away before you drown, because the streets will beat you down, fallen leaves, fallen leaves, fallen leaves on the ground._


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter13: No More Living With Fear.

Yay! We get to spend some quality time with Demyx this chapter. And do some zombie-killing. Exciting stuff, this is. I'm discovering that Demyx is a much deeper character than I had originally expected. But, hey, that's what happens when a story writes itself, like this one has. Really. I just sit at my computer, start typing things as they come into my head, and then go through and spell check. There is absolutely no planning going into this plot at all. So yeah, if it sucks, I'm sorry. But I have to say, I'm quite excited with how it's turned out so far!

By the way, I totally lied with the title of the last chapter. Day's not quite done yet. Sorry :)

But you guys, come on. Two reviews? You have to do better than that. I need to know what you guys think!

Andnope,...

_ …..._

Axelfound himself driving aimlessly around Hollow Bastion. After everything that had happened that day, the last thing he wanted to do was go home. And it wasn't like his dad would miss him. He was probably passed out on the couch by now. He drove without really thinking about it, too absorbed in what had just happened.

_Of all the people in the world, why would he decide to share what happened to him with me? He barely even knows me._

_And why am I so glad he chose me? Does that make me... I dunno, some sort of ghoul, getting off on other people's tragedy? As if I don't have enough issues..._

_That's not it. Because it's not like I enjoyed it. God, it killed me to hear all of that. I'd like to find the bastard that did it and rip his fucking head off... and why the hell am I so protective of a kid I only met today?_

_What the fuck? What the hell is wrong with me lately?_

Axel realized that he had driven himself to Demyx's street. He parked his truck (which made an awful clunking, grinding noise... _I really need to get that looked at..._) on the curb, and debated whether or not he wanted to go in and talk to him. _But then I would have to tell him everything that Roxas told me... and that's not my story to tell..._

He had almost decided to head somewhere else, when a knock on the window startled him. Demyx stood outside the passenger side window. He opened the door, and asked "Are you okay, Axel? You've been sitting out here for, like, twenty minutes."

"Sorry. I was just... thinking."

"It's okay... I was just a little worried about you after you disappeared with that new kid... what's his name again?"

"Roxas. His name is Roxas. And you worry too much. We just... we went and talked for a while, that's all. Nothing to worry about." Axel got out of the truck and headed up towards the house with Demyx.

Demyx made a face. "If you say so. I just think its weird, that's all. I mean, you don't talk to _anybody_ anymore. Well, except for me. Even Zexion says you don't talk to him much anymore..."

They walked through the front door and headed up the stairs towards Demyx's bedroom. It was such a normal occurrence that Demyx's brother, Marluxia, who took care of Demyx now that their parents were gone, didn't even comment on it anymore. "Like I said, Demyx. You worry too much. I don't talk to Zexion because I don't ever see him. Since he went to college, I haven't seen him more than a handful of times. It's not my fault."

They went in Demyx's bedroom, and Axel flopped into the La-Z-Boy in the corner. "I don't know what it is about this guy, Demyx. Since Jamie, I've always pushed everyone away. But with Roxas, I just... can't. I just met him today, but it feels like I've known him a million years. When he was telling me about everything that happened to him, the reasons why he moved here... all I wanted to do was comfort him. It's the strangest thing. I've never felt this way before. And it's driving me fucking batty!" Axel pushed a hand through his long red spikes and blew out a frustrated breath.

"Well, in my expert opinion, Axel, I think this is what they call 'love at first sight.'" Axel glared at his best friend. "I'm serious! People don't have that kind of connection very often. Don't let this slip away because you're scared, Axel. He seems like a good kid."

Axel stood up, angry. "Of course I'm scared, Demyx! The last time I fell for someone, they wound up DEAD! And you know as well as I do that Xemnas doesn't let things go. He promised me that the same thing would happen to anyone else I ever loved... and if anything more happened to Roxas, especially if it was because of me... I don't think I could live with myself anymore. I think it would really kill me..." he flopped down again, feeling defeated. "It damn near killed me the last time... I wouldn't survive losing someone I loved again... but... but I can't just walk away from him. It's like he's fucking magnetic north or something. I can't bring myself to pull away now. And it's only been one day. It'll only get worse as time goes on..." he looked to his best friend, utterly lost.

"I know, Axel. I know better than anyone." Demyx said quietly. "It seems like you have two options. Either you try to stay away from him, and make yourself miserable, or you do what you truly want, and trust that things will turn out differently this time. I only talked to him for a few minutes, but I can tell you already, Roxas is far stronger than Jamie ever was. I don't know what happened to him before, but I can tell. He's seen some damn hard times, and he's fought his way back from the brink." Demyx looked Axel straight in the eye. "And I promise you, if you let this kind of connection pass you by, you'll regret it for the rest of your life." he looked away and added quietly "I know I will..."

Axel looked at Demyx, confused. "Wait a minute... Who are you...?" then it dawned on him. "Zexion."

Demyx shook his head sadly. "Of course it's Zexion. It's always been Zexion. Since we were kids, and he used to talk the bullies into a corner when they would gang up on me and steal my lunch. I've been in love with him for years. But he's moved on, he's dating that guy at his college... and if I had had the balls to tell him when I had the chance, maybe we'd be together right now. But I didn't, and we aren't. I lost my chance." he stood and knelt in front of Axel. "Don't lose yours. Get to know him. Spend time with him. And when the moment comes, you damn well better tell him. Don't let Xemnas rule your life. Don't let your fear keep you from living."

Axel found that he couldn't speak. _God, I'm a moron. All this time, and I never saw that this was tearing him up inside. I always took it for granted that Demyx was the happy one, the one who was never down about anything. I think he's just a better actor than I am... _they were silent for a while.

"Hey, Axel." Demyx said suddenly.

"What?" Axel asked warily.

"Wanna kill some zombies?" he asked with a grin.

Axel couldn't help but smile back. "Hell yes. You know I'm always up for some good old-fashioned zombie shooting!" he laughed and grabbed one of the PS3 paddles while Demyx turned on the console. _Nothing like a little _Left 4 Dead _to relieve stress..._

Demyx and Axel played video games for hours, until they both finally passed out. As he lay in the fully reclined chair, he couldn't help but find his thoughts wandering back to Roxas' story, and to everything Demyx had told him tonight.

_God, life really does suck. _He thought. _But Demyx is right. I can't let my fear control me. I can't let him slip out of my hands..._

_Roxas..._

_I won't give up on you..._

_I'll find a way to fight my fear..._

_And I won't let you pass me by..._

_I hope that you see right through my walls. I hope that you catch me, 'cause I'm already falling. I've never let a love get so close. But you put your arms around me, and I'm home_


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: A Mother's Rage and a Brother's Curiosity.

And so our dear, sweet Axel has come to terms with the fact that this he really can't keep away from Roxas... sigh... I can't wait to find out what happened with him and Xemnas before... oh well. You guys will find out as soon as I do! XD

Switching back to Roxas POV, because I feel the need to find out how he feels about spilling his guts to Axel. Read on!

And once again. Reviews are great. You guys who have already reviewed, I love ya! If I could, I would give you each a cupcake. A big one. But unfortunately, I have yet to perfect the art of sending food through the internet... ah, well; the thought is nice, anyways. :)

BTW, I'm thinking of doing a companion story to this one, about Sora and Riku. But I don't know. If you'd be interested in something like that, let me know.

…...

_Oh, god, what a frikken day. It seems like forever since I left this morning. _Roxas opened the door and shut it quietly, hoping to get to the room he shared with Sora before his mother noticed him.

"ROXAS LOCKE! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?"

Roxas cringed. _Well, it was a nice thought while it lasted..._

His mom stood in the doorway to the living room with her hands on her hips. "I've been worried sick about you! Sora tells me you had a panic attack, and then disappeared with some boy from school you just met today? If he hadn't told me, I would have had no idea where you were! I -"

"Mom, I didn't come straight home, because I couldn't deal with _this. _I didn't call because I knew Sora would tell you. And I went with Axel because he's the first person to look at me like I was still a person, not a victim of tragedy or a walking reminder that bad things happen, in seven months. He coached me through it, and he listened to me, and he helped me more in a few hours than anyone's been able to so far." Roxas turned from his mother, unable to bear the hurt look on her face.

"I know you're scared, but have some faith in me, okay? I'm not made of glass. I'm not a child, and I'm not as trusting as I used to be. Let me live my life, instead of trying to cage me up so I won't get hurt again. I can't live like that, mom."

He began walking down the hall towards his room. "I...i just don't want anything to happen to you, Roxas..." Roxas turned back to his mother, walked over, and put his arms around her.

"I know, mom. I know. But I just can't live in a snow globe. I have to be able to experience life, not just see it from through the glass. I'm sorry I made you worry. I promise, next time I'll call you, okay?"

She let him hold her for a moment, and then she straightened up, wiped her face, and put her hands on her hips again. "Okay, Roxas. Now, go, get some dinner, then get your homework done and get to bed. I don't want you falling behind on your very first day!" she smiled and hugged Roxas. "Be patient with me, Roxas. I'm still adjusting to you not being a little boy anymore..." she let him go. "Go on, shoo! I want you in bed by eleven!"

_That's mom for you. One second she's in tears, the next she's going off about homework. _Roxas grinned at her and went to the kitchen to hunt down some leftovers. He wasn't really hungry, but he knew his mom would be happier if he ate something. He made a ham sandwich, grabbed a Coke, and headed into his bedroom.

The room he shared with Sora was actually the master bedroom, but since it was the only one that was wheelchair accessible, it had been decided that Sora and Roxas would share it, and their parents would take one of the upstairs bedrooms. And for all that Sora and Roxas were twins, and very much alike, their decorating styles were _very _different.

The half of the room that was Sora's was covered with posters from action movies, all neatly aligned on the walls, and there were several shelves filled with medals and awards from his athletic accomplishments. It was neat and tidy, not a thing out of place.

Roxas' half, however, was a haphazard mess. Random drawings, song lyrics, and band posters from names like Billy Talent and Greenday haphazardly coated his walls. His clothes were strewn about, novels and notebooks filled with song lyrics piled precariously on the bedside table, and the desk was loaded with art supplies of every type, and a sketchbook lay open on an unfinished portrait of a man playing a saxophone. His guitar and violin cases leaned against the side of the desk.

Sora sat on his bed, his legs stretched out straight in front of him. His wheelchair sat beside the bed where he could reach it. He was doing his homework, with a textbook open on his lap. "How are you?" Sora asked as Roxas walked in.

"I'm fine." Roxas sat down at his desk, pushed the stuff out of the way, and began pulling out his homework.

Sora cleared his throat. Roxas turned and looked to see his twin glaring at him. He took a big bite of his sandwich and shrugged at him.

"You're an ass. You need to tell me more than that!" Sora set aside his textbook and leaned towards Roxas. "Where the hell did you guys go?"

He chewed his sandwich slowly, putting off the question. Finally, he answered. "We went and got some food, and then he took me up onto the cliffs. We talked. Then he brought me home. He offered to bring me to school tomorrow, and I accepted. We both figured you would hitch a ride with Riku, since the car doesn't seem to bother you like it does me."

"It's not so much that it doesn't bother me... just not in the same way it gets you. And actually, I _am _riding with Riku. Who felt like a terrible person, by the way. It took me forever to convince him that it wasn't his fault. But seriously, what happened? What did you talk about? Spill!"

"Well...i told him. About everything."

Sora looked shocked. "You did? You barely know him! You haven't even talked about it with _me, _Roxas." he looked away. "Are you sure that was a good idea? I mean, do you think he'll keep it to himself? The main reason we moved is so that we could go somewhere where everyone _didn't _know."

"Yeah, Sora. I trust him. I don't know why, because, like you said, I just met him... but I feel like I've known him forever. Like I could tell him anything... it's really strange."

"Huh... weird."

Roxas ate his sandwich and turned to his chemistry textbook. "Besides, Sora," he said teasingly. "After how much time you spent with Riku today, you don't have room to talk!"

Sora just turned red and sputtered at him for a moment. "Roxas, if I could use my legs, I'd come kick your ass right now!" Sora threatened.

"Oh, please. Even if you _could _walk_, _you couldn't take me! Pansy!" Roxas ducked as a pillow came flying at his head.

A short but brutal battle commenced, which ended with Roxas getting drilled in the head with a pillow, falling off his chair, and hitting the floor on his back hard, knocking the air out of him.

"Okay, okay!" Roxas gasped. "You win!"

Sora grinned. "Damn right I win. And don't you forget it! And since you're a loser, pick up all these pillows!" he commanded.

Roxas obediently picked up all the pillows, and put them back on their respective beds.

"Seriously, though, Roxas," Sora said. "Tell me more about this guy. All I saw was him being a jerk."

"Well..." _how_ _do_ _I_ _say it?_ "He's... it's like he's put up this wall around himself. He's afraid to let anyone close for some reason. So he acts like an asshole, just to push people away. But I think, inside, he's really a very kind person. Today, when I was talking... it was like it hurt him to hear what happened to us. But he let me continue, because that's what I needed. That he was willing to do that for me, a random guy he just met today... it says a lot about him."

They sat in silence for a while, as both boys finished their homework.

Roxas closed his textbook and went to get ready for bed. _What is it about him? _He wondered. _I don't understand. Why do I feel so... drawn to him? Whatever it is, I don't want to let this go. I don't want to lose this connection. Because whatever it is, I know my life won't be the same for having him in it._

_Whatever this is..._

_Axel..._

_I won't let you pass me by..._

_Just like a star across the sky, just like an angel off the page, you have appeared in my life, things will never be the same._


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Sweet Dreams and Irritating Siblings.

Oooooh! Exciting stuff here, folks. I had fun writing this... wink, wink.

This chapter is a little lemony... yum! Don't like it... avert your eyes or something.

…...

_Roxas found himself in a room he'd never seen before and he was unsure of how he got there. The room had green walls, and the windows were draped with blue fabric. It was empty except for a large navy blue sofa in the middle of the room._

"Your here... I thought you wouldn't come..."

_Roxas turned and saw Axel standing behind him._

_In a voice that sounded oddly distant, he replied "_of course I came..." _the words were not his own. It was like someone else was speaking for him._

_Axel stepped towards him and put his arms around him. The taller guy put his face next to Roxas' ear and whispered, "_I'm so glad you did..."

_Roxas shivered in anticipation. He heard himself whisper back, "_I'm glad I did too..."

_Axel moved his head so that they were face to face. "_You don't know how much I've wanted to do this..." _he whispered as he leaned in to kiss him._

_Their lips met in a sweet, soft kiss. Roxas twined his fingers into Axels' hair and deepened the kiss. Their mouths moved together like they were breathing each other in, like they were fire and oxygen, like they would wither away if they were parted. There was nothing else in the world for Roxas at that moment except for Axel._

_Axel took a few steps forward, forcing Roxas backward and pinning him against the wall. It sent a trill of excitement through him. The kiss became more forceful, more crazed. Axels' hands roamed down Roxas' sides, finding the hem of his shirt and sneaking underneath to caress his hips and lower back. Roxas, his hands still entwined in Axels' hair, gave it a tug, and felt Axels' moan against his mouth, which sent a shudder through his body._

_They pulled apart for air, and Axel put his forehead to Roxas'. "_Roxas, I-"

BEEEP BEEEP BEEEP BEEEP BEE-

Roxas smashed a hand down on his alarm clock, bolted up, and ran a hand through his hair. _Holy shit! What the hell was that?_ He jumped out of bed and went into the bathroom. He splashed some water on his face and realized that his hands were shaking.

_I didn't even realize I was dreaming... it felt so real... I can't believe that I'm even dreaming of shit like that. I barely know him, and I'm dreaming about making out with him?_ He grimaced. _And why do I keep wishing I could just go back to that dream?_

He stepped into the shower, still thinking about the dream. _No matter what, _he resolved, _I am SO not telling anyone about it._

_ …..._

He got dressed and headed into the kitchen for breakfast. Sora and Vanitas were already eating, but Ventus was nowhere to be seen. _Probably still in bed, _he thought.

"Morning, Rox." said Vanitas. "How was yesterday, by the way? You got home so late, I never got to ask."

"It was … interesting." Roxas replied.

"That's good, I guess. At least it wasn't too bad. Do you need a ride into school today? Sora is hitching a ride with some guy, Rico or Roka or something..."

"His name is Riku, you dork." Sora interjected.

Roxas grinned. "No, I've got a ride. Don't worry about me."

"And who is so nice as to give you a ride?" their mother asked as she walked into the kitchen

"His name is Axel Firennos, and I-"

"Firennos? That's the weird redheaded guy with the tattoos, right?" Vanitas asked

"Yeah, that's him. He's not weird, he just-"

"He's in my English class." his brother interrupted. "He sat in the back and he looked like he was arguing with himself the whole time. He's definitely weird."

"Don't be rude, Vanitas. I'm sure he's a perfectly nice young man. He's the one you were with last night, right, Roxas?" his mother asked

Roxas felt himself turn pink. "Uh, yeah. We hung out last night for a whi-"

"Ooh! Wittle Roxie has a boyfriend!" Vanitas crooned, hooking an arm around Roxas' neck and grinding his fist into his hair.

Roxas ducked out of his brother's grasp and glared, trying to fix his hair. "He's not my _boyfriend, _moron. Unlike you, I'm not the type to want to jump in the sack with the first person I meet-"

"That's enough!" their mother cut them off in her scary-mom-voice. "Boys, you need to behave yourselves-" she was cut off by a horn honking outside.

_At least I'm not the only one who can't seem to finish a sentence around here... _Roxas thought. He looked out the window to see Axels' piece-of-crap truck sitting outside by the curb. "My rides here. I'll see you guys later. Bye, mom." he grabbed his backpack and bolted out the door, grateful for the escape from his family. And then he remembered the dream.

_Oh, God... just pretend it never happened. Put it out of your head._

He climbed into the passenger seat and Axel took off, his truck emitting a loud bang and a lot of smoke as it pulled from the curb.

_Sweet dreams are made of these, who am I to disagree?_


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: And This Awkward Moment Is Brought to You by... Dreamland!

Ah, Roxas, you're so delightfully awkward. XD

So, these two chapters (15 and 16) really go together, but... well, it didn't really seem to work as one long chapter either... and so this chapter is really short... so you guys get two chapters this week. Yeehaw!

By the way…

FantasyFanatic01: wow…. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me like that! I'm always up for a little deep philosophical discussion… :D and I've tried really hard to portray this relationship properly…. it's wonderful to know that I've done it right! Thank you!

Candy 3314 and RandomAngel16: you guys never fail to make me laugh… :D

Animeloverx175: thanks! That's what I was going for. XD

And NekoGirl2BusyWriting2Flirt and Willowfur: I upload pretty much as soon as I write them… I'm doing my best to get them posted as quickly as possible! I know how frustrating it is to get into a story and have to wait forever for the next chapter….

I'm going to try and actually slow down enough to respond to my reviews… idk how it will go. But I'll try. I really do appreciate it, guys!

…...

Axel started driving away, not saying anything. Roxas looked at him, and couldn't help but wonder if his hair was as silky as it had seemed in his entirely-too-realistic dream. _Oh, god. This is going to be just ducky. I really need to get that dream out of my head._

"So, um... how was your night?" _smooth. Very smooth._

"Um... fine I guess. You?"

Roxas looked out the window, so that Axel couldn't see how pink he was. "Fine. Just fine."

They rode in silence for a bit. Axel spoke up after a while. "So, do you want to stop by Miss Kimberly's office and see who got the solos before homeroom?"

Roxas had completely forgotten about it. "Oh, yeah! Definitely!"

Axel laughed. "You forgot, didn't you?" he asked.

Roxas turned red again. "Yeah, I did." he chuckled nervously. _He probably thinks I'm a total moron by this point..._

"Don't worry, until a minute ago, I had too."

Roxas grinned. "At least I'm not the only forgetful one." he joked.

Axel pulled into the side parking lot of the school. The truck made a groaning noise when he put into park, and Roxas heard grinding gears as he shut it off. "You really ought to have this thing looked at..."

"I know. This piece of crap is about to fall apart any day now. Unfortunately, my gigs don't pay much, and this thing is a gas guzzler besides."

They headed into the doors by the auditorium. "Gigs? You have a band?" Roxas asked, excited.

"Well, I did. Unfortunately, our lead guitarist/second vocalist decided he was sick of us, and now we're kind of screwed." Axel paused, as if he was considering his words. "That's kind of why I asked if you played any instruments yesterday. I have to talk it over with the other guys, but if you're interested, I'd like to have you audition for them, since I already know you can sing."

"I'd love to!" Roxas gushed. Inwardly, he rejoiced.

"Great. I'll let you know once everyone else can get together. We're not exactly an organized bunch..."

They stopped in front of a door, and Roxas realized it must be Miss Kimberly's office. Suddenly, Roxas was extremely nervous. _I don't know why, but for some reason, this solo means a lot to me..._

"You ready?" Axel asked

"Oh, god. Just take a look and tell me. I can't do it!" he moaned and covered his eyes.

Axel laughed. Roxas heard a paper rustle, and then felt a tap on his shoulder. He uncovered his eyes to see the paper right in front of his face. "You did it, Roxas. You got the solo. Namine called it, it's you and me!"

Shocked, Roxas just stared dumbly at the paper in front of him. Right there, in black and white, it said 'Soloists: Axel Firennos and Roxas Locke.'

"I... I wasn't even going to audition. Oh my god, I actually got the solo!" impulsively, he hugged Axel.

Axel stiffened, and then hugged him back. "I'm so glad," he whispered in Roxas' ear.

It was suddenly so much like his dream, Roxas felt his face go blood red, and he tore himself away from Axel.

"I... Uh... we... ummmm..." Roxas just stuttered, supremely embarrassed.

Axel looked just as uncomfortable as Roxas felt. "We... we should get to class."

"Yeah! Let's get to class!" Roxas started down the hall, shocked at himself. _Why the hell did I just hug him? What is wrong with me?_

Axel cleared his throat. "Ummmm, Roxas? You're headed the wrong way..."

Roxas stopped dead still. _Of course. Just when I think I can't embarrass myself anymore._

He turned around and headed the other way. Axel walked beside him, completely silent, all the way to their homeroom class.

_Some days it don't come easy, and some days it don't come hard. Some days it don't come at all, and these are the days that never end._


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Distractions.

Switching back to Axel POV. Fun fun!

So, I want to try to make all of my chapters at least 1000 words... I'm challenging myself. And this is _not _including my author's notes... I'm not letting myself cheat! XD

I can't believe how many story alert/favorite story adds I've gotten on this rambling, random mess. You guys really know how to make a girl feel good about herself!

candy3314: ummm... I feel rather silly... but what is a rarapied chapter? I'm confused... but I'm so glad that you enjoyed the chapter! *hugs * oh, and feel welcome to send any story ideas you have my way. I always love hearing other people's ideas!

NekoGirl2BusyWriting2Flirt: :D aawww! I love ya too! I'm very glad that I inspired you finish your own story as well! Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside... :3

x-Trisana-Skystorm-x: When I was writing it, it really seemed like it should be separate, mostly because I wrote them separately. But now that I look back at them... yeah, you're right. :D I'm glad you like it though!

RandomAngel16: yay! I gots a cookie! *Om nom nom *... anyways, I agree. Roxas is kinda whipped. Lol. And Axel... well Axel is pretty 'DAYUM!' That's really the only way to describe that. :D

Willowfur: I try. 3

rexroy101: hahah I agree. Because getting so flustered that you're walking off in the wrong direction? Totally something I've done before. :D

TamashiiWolf: I've actually tried really hard to capture that difference in attitude. I think that since Axel is really unlike anyone he's ever met, and he's got this strange relationship going on with him already, well, he should interact differently. I'm excited to see that you've noticed!

And I'm glad that of all the things you could be doing to kill time at 5:20 am, (like, say... sleeping like a normal person... :D) you chose to read my story. Makes me feel good about myself. 3 *hugs *

P.S. This is officially the longest story I've ever written in my life. I'm quite proud of myself!

Now that I've gotten through this really long authors note... enjoy! And as always, not my characters, and review, review, review! =^.^=

…...

Axel sat down in his usual spot in math, as far from the front desk as possible. Beside him sat Roxas. _Holy shit, he hugged me. Where did that come from?_ He wondered. _Not that I didn't enjoy it, but I sure as hell wasn't expecting it._ He realized he was staring at the blonde, and quickly looked away. But not before he saw Namine looking at him with a satisfied smirk on her face.

_Well, shit._ He thought. _She totally caught me staring. _He gave her a glare and then turned to his textbook. Since he had his slacker-guy reputation to uphold, he blatantly opened it up to the wrong page, and promptly pretended to be asleep. In all actuality, he was paying rapt attention to what Leon was saying. _I've already failed this class twice; I'm NOT doing so again. And since I have a 90 average, I figure I'm not doing so bad..._

Axel felt someone staring at him. He opened his eyes to see Roxas looking at him, realize he was caught, and then turn pink. _He blushes so easily... and he's so damn cute!_ He rubbed his eyes and resumed his sleep act.

"Mr. Firennos! Can you tell me the answer to number eight?"

Leon's question jolted him back to reality. _God, that boy is distracting._

He looked down at his paper and read. "Ummm... a is less than b, which is greater than or equal to seven." he answered without thinking about it.

"Correct. Nice to see you can do math in your sleep. The rest of us are not as fortunate, so to avoid jealousy, please try to stay awake during my class."

Axel snorted. _And this is why Leon is one of my favorite teachers..._

…...

Math class ended, and Axel headed to art. Halfway down the hall, Roxas caught up with him.

"I...um... I'm sorry." he stammered.

Axel grinned. "Nothing to be sorry about. I like hugs." _but only from you. Anyone else, I'd break their fucking arms..._

"Somehow, you didn't strike me as the huggy type." Roxas said, head tilted.

"Just one of my quirks, I suppose."

Roxas laughed, and together they headed into the art room.

Axel headed to his regular table in the back corner.

Roxas followed him over. "You really are a creature of habit, aren't you? You sit in the back for every one of your classes."

Axel looked at him and shrugged. "I guess. People generally don't bother you as much if you sit in the back."

Roxas just looked at him for a second, and then turned to walk away. "Sorry I was bothering you. I can leave."

_Sonofabitch!_ "Did I say you were bothering me? I don't believe I did."

Roxas paused "but you said-"

"I know what I said. Now get over here and sit your ass down. You're making a scene."

And, as Axel said, the entire class was staring at them. Mostly Axel. Since the only time he ever opened his mouth to most of them was to be nasty, he couldn't blame them for being surprised.

Roxas smiled "of course. You have a reputation to uphold."

"Damn right I do."

He grabbed his project from the shelf and unwrapped the plastic from the clay figure. It was a boy sitting on a bench, sitting cross-legged, playing a guitar. He'd started the project three weeks ago, and he suddenly realized that for some reason, the boy looked like Roxas. The face, the hair, the build, everything.

_Holy. Fucking. Shit._

Roxas looked at Axel's project, and stopped what he was doing, gaping. "Is that... is that _me?_" he asked, mystified.

Axel bit his lip. "Well, I'll admit it looks like you... But I started this project three weeks ago. I didn't notice the resemblance until just now. And I've been focusing on the guitar, so it's not like I did this yesterday... apparently, you were in my imagination before I met you."

_Wow, because that doesn't sound like a corny line or anything._

"That's one of the strangest things...wow. Just... wow."

"Yeah..." Axel didn't know what to say.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Roxas managed to change the subject, for which Axel was grateful. It was becoming just too awkward for him. They chatted the rest of the period, about music, mostly. Axel had never met anyone who could keep up with him when he talked music. There wasn't a type of music he didn't listen to, and know a lot about. He was amazed that Roxas knew just as much as he did.

As the class came to an end, they wrapped up their projects. "So, who do you have for study hall this period?" Axel asked.

"How do you know I have study hall?" Roxas asked, looking confused.

"Ummm, because we had gym together yesterday, so obviously you have study hall today. Unless you have a science lab."

"Oh, yeah..." Roxas grinned. "I have..." he pulled out a battered piece of paper, on which his schedule was printed. " J. Brown?"

"Oh, John. He's pretty chill. He's part of the Math department, so his classroom is right next to Leon's."

Roxas smiled at him. "Thanks. I'll see you in Computer Tech. Maybe today, you'll be able to get something done, instead of helping me all period."

Axel grinned. "Maybe. Doubtful, though. You're distracting." he turned and walked away.

_If only he knew just how adorably _distracting_ he is..._

…...

Study hall seemed ridiculously long. Axel spent the entire time bored out of his skull. When the bell rang, he was grateful to escape. He headed directly to Cid's room, when usually he would dawdle in the hallway, just to be late and annoy Cid.

_He really is getting to me,_ Axel thought. _I'm going to class on time, just so I can see more of him? Wow..._

He walked in to see Roxas, sitting in the same spot he had yesterday. Right beside Axel's usual seat. All Axel could do was smile.

_I'm having the time of my life, and I've never felt this way before, and I swear, this is true, and I owe it all to you._

Note: this is the last chapter you'll be getting on this story for a while. One of my best friends, who was helping me with writing and editing this story, just recently committed suicide. And, well, I can't find the will to continue with this for a while. I don't know when I'll pick this back up again, but I promise you I will.

I'm thinking I might start on another story, because I want to keep writing... but I just can't work on this story right now. It's too depressing for me. I apologize again to you guys for leaving you like this, and again, I promise you, I'll continue it someday. Goodbye for now guys, I appreciate you so much! 3


	18. Chapter 18

Authors Note: okay, so i dont think im supposed to do this, but...

Good News! i'm back to working on this story!

Bad News (sorta) is that you gotta wait for me to finish the entire story...because ive decided to waitand finish it before i start publishing again. i dont want to leave you guys hanging wish me luck, as i embark on this story once again! you should be seeing updates soon! :D 


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